Standard frame construction is used in virtually all residential and related construction in the United States, and many other places throughout the world. This method of construction includes a wooden or steel framework of studs covered with a light sheathing of foam, light fiberboard or plywood, Celotex™, or any number of other light sheathing or substrate materials. Normally, heavy-duty fiberboard or plywood is not used throughout a frame construction due to the cost. Further, it has been found far more desirable to use a sheathing material that has some insulating or even waterproof value. Normally, some type of siding material is applied over the sheathing to provide water resistance and decorative features.
Sometimes the sheathing is of wood, and has substantial structural value. In other cases, the sheathing can be low-gauge vinyl supported by a foam backing to obtain improved insulating properties, but having little structural value. The same types of materials can also be used for the overlying siding. In many cases, neither the siding nor the underlying sheathing is separately capable of supporting a fixture to be mounted on the wall. Consequently, standard frame construction very often requires that both the sheathing and the siding be used in conjunction to support any fixtures to be added to the wall. Otherwise the fixture must be moved so as to be supported by a stud.
As a result, the building industry has developed a number of mounting frames that utilize the combined strength of the siding and the underlying substrate or sheathing. This is done by having a lower mounting frame attached around an aperture to the sheathing at as many points as feasible. Preferably, one of these points will be at a supporting stud, or a piece of sheathing that is constituted by heavy-gauge plywood or fiberboard, as is used at the corner of many structures. A second mounting frame piece is attached to the lower mounting frame on the sheathing. Normally this second piece is used to constitute the support for the external fixture, and is firmly connected to the sidewalls extending from the frame on the sheathing. The second mounting frame piece derives a great deal of its strength by firmly interfacing with the perpendicular framework of the lower mounting frame. Finally, there is a holding piece (or pieces) which attaches either to the fixture support or the lower mounting frame (in some cases both) to utilize the structural capability of the siding around the overall mounting frame.
By placing a solid framework around the aperture in the wall, and firmly interlocking all three of the mounting frame pieces, a moderately stable mounting support for a fixture can be effected even on a relatively flimsy wall. The key has often been to completely frame the aperture and reinforce the framework using all parts of the wall structure. However, using conventional mounting frames, this process has not always been easy to carry out. In many traditional arrangements, three different pieces must be fit together, in addition to mounting the fixture on one part of the wall-mounting frame. Consequently, the process could be extremely awkward, especially if unskilled labor is employed.
Another problem, even for highly skilled workers, is the fact that the conventional mounting frames normally come in three separate pieces, often with separate connecting devices for each piece. Under the often-chaotic conditions of construction sites, pieces of the mounting frames, especially the connectors, can be misplaced or lost. This results in delays or other difficulties, and often leads to the expedient of ordering redundant mounting frames just to make certain that a full kit is available when needed.
This problem has been addressed in part by arrangements in which two of the three components are attached together. However, there have been difficulties with such arrangements since sometimes the attached components must be separated for one to be mounted, and then reattached to the other. This leads to the same problems previously described.
In some cases, two of the components are permanently mounted together, alleviating some of the aforementioned difficulties. However, the upper holding piece which is used to hold the entire mounting frame tight to the surrounding siding, is always a separate piece in conventional mount frame designs. Otherwise, it would be impossible to position and connect the mounting bracket to the wall using conventional mounting frames. In many cases, this upper holding piece can be lost. In some cases, even if the upper holding piece is not lost, its connectors can be, thereby compromising the overall mounting frame.
Accordingly, there is a substantial need for an improved wall-mounting frame that overcomes the difficulties of the conventional mounting frames. In particular, such an improved mounting frame would alleviate the problems of lost parts, and facilitate easy mounting. Also, an improved mounting frame would provide for varying thicknesses of siding and sheathing.